Statement by India at the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group 28^th Session (6-17 November 2017) : 3rd UPR of Republic of Korea – Interactive Dialogue. [Geneva, 9 November 2017]

Mr. President,

India welcomes the delegation of the Republic of Korea.

2. We welcome the amendment of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea Act in 2016 to ensure transparency and diversity in its function.

3. Revising the Framework Act on Women’s Development into the Framework Act on Gender Equality to ensure non-discrimination against women is a welcome development. However, we would recommend Republic of Korea to take credible steps towards gender mainstreaming and reinforcing the principle of equal pay for equal work.

4. We also recommend the Republic of Korea to respect reproductive rights of women which include decriminalization of abortions.

5. We appreciate Republic of Korea’s efforts to bring parity in the working conditions of regular and non-regular workers. The plan to convert non-regular workers in public sector to regular workers is forward-looking.

6. We recommend Republic of Korea to stop the discriminatory approach that requires only foreign workers in various sectors to mandatorily undergo HIV/AIDS testing, which is not required for Korean nationals.

7. We wish the delegation of the Republic of Korea all success in its future endeavours.

Thank you Mr. President.